Tool-actuating apparatus



June2s,1938. R D MMONS 'A l 2,121,831

TOOL ACTUATING APPARATUS Filed sept. 4, 1936 z sheets-sheet 1 INVENTOR,RUT/1 D. J/MMo/VJ.

A TTORNEYI 'June 28, 1938. R. D. SIMMONS TOOL ACTUATING APPARATUS 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 4, 1956 INVENTOR, fE//h f/MMo/vs,

ATTORNEY.

Pam-ed June 2s, 1.938

PATENT oFFlVcE TooL-AcTUA'rxNG mm'rus man n. simmons, Los anni, cnn.

Application September 4, 1938, Serial No. 99,343 s claim. (c1. 'x4- sviThis invention relates to improvements in power-actuated toolho1ders,andthe principal object of the invention is to provide simple andpracticable apparatus of said class and in compact form for convenientmanipulation by an operator.

The invention is intended to be especially useful when employed formanicuring operations. These operations usually consist in shoving backthe cuticle around the edge of the nail, shaping the nails by filingtheir edges. This is usually followed by the application of a paste ofsome kind to the nails, after which the nails are usually f burnished.These operations when performed by hand are laborious, and consumeconsiderable time. The pushing of the cuticle backaroundthe edgeof thenail is usually accomplished with a small chisel-shaped piece of wood,which is usually called an orange stick. One of lthe objects of thisinvention is to provide a tool-holding device particularly adapted forperforming these functions. A special object of the invention is toprovide the device with means for giving the tool a relatively shortreciprocating travel to be used when the orange stick or similar deviceVis being. employed for pushing back the cuticle, and to construct thedevice so that when desired, the device can readily be set in anotherrelation to enable relatively long travel to be given to the holdingstem of the tool, which should be used in filing the nails; also, toconstruct the device so that at will it can be readily set forimpartingr rotary movement to the holding stem of the tool vwhen it isdesired to polish the nails.v I

Other objects and advantages residing in my invention, and objectsrelating to details of construction thereof, will be readily apparent inthe.

course of the detailed description to follow.

The accompanying drawings illustrate by way `of example a representativeform of my invention, in which:

Figure 1 is a view in longitudinal section of an embodiment of myinvention.

Fig. 2 is a similar view with the casing shown in section, and withparts broken away- Fig. 3 is a view in side elevation of the invention,on a smaller scale than in the above named views.

Fig. 4 is a view in cross section on line 4 4 of Fig. l.

Fig. 5 is a similar view on line `S--Ii of Fig. l.

Fig. 6 is a detached view in side elevation of the impeller element ofmyv invention.

`- and driven member.

Fig. 7 is a pictorial view. of my invention and actuating devicestherefor.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary perspective view of the tool-holder .of m5invention including a manicuring tool and illustrating its use upon thefingers 5 of the subject. v

I F18. 9 is a view in front elevation of the actuating devices utilizedwith my invention, the faceplate thereof being broken away.

Fig. 10 is a view in cross section of the same. 10

Before proceeding to a more detailed description of the invention, itvshould be stated that in its preferred construction it involves the useof a rotatably driven driving member, and a driven member. Between thesetwo members a driving connectionis provided, including a cam slotin oneof the members, and a projection or pin on the other member. 'I'hedevice is provided with means for holding the driven member againstrotation when the reciprocating drive connection is in use through theagency of the cam slot, and for holding the driven member againstlongitudinal movement when a direct rotary drive connection is eiectedbetween the driving member Furthermore, the driven member carries a stemthat projects from the forward end of the device, and the device is soconstructed that when the driven member is shifted longitudinallythrough the medium of its projectingstem, the cam drive can bedisconnected and the direct rotary drive connection effected. In orderto accomplish this, I prefer to provide the cam slot or slot's with alateral groove; that is to say, a groove that extends laterally from theside wall of the cam slot. By a longitudinal shifting of the drivenmember relative to the driving member, the pin that would normally runin the cam slot, would move into this lateral groove or notch, therebylocking the driving member and driven.. member together for directrotary move- 40 ment in unison. Although the `device can. beconstructed, if desired, with a. single cam slot, I

. prefer to provide two cam slots, one of which has relatively smallpitch so that the tool will reciprocate with a very small amount oftravel. 45

or emery board for filing the nails and shaping them.

When the device is being used for polishing the nails, of course, therotary drive is employed. At this time the driving head at the end ofthe stem of the tool carries a small burnishing or polishing wheel,which wheel can be any desired shape to facilitate its application tothe nails; and, of course, this wheel can be made of any desiredmaterial suitable for its purpose.

Referring to the parts illustrated in the drawings I indicates agenerally cylindrical casing of my improved apparatus. having acentrally apertured head or wall 2 at its outer end and closed at itsinner end by a frictionally or otherwise secured cap 3. The casing is ofa diameter adapting it to be conveniently held in the hand of theoperator and may be provided with a knurled exterior surface, not shown;or, as shownywith circumferential ridges 5, enabling the casing to beheld securely in the operator's hand.

Within the cylindrical chamber 6 of said casing a driven member 1 isprovided preferably in the form of a cylindrical barrel-piston heldtherein 4for rotary and longitudinal reciprocatory movements, and thismember may have a cylindrical chamber 8 open at its inner end, and anaxially directed stem I at its opposite end slidably and rotatablyextending through the aperture II of the wall 2. The end wall I2 of thebarrel is provided with an aperture I8 connecting the chambers 8 and 8to permit free passage of air and thereby relieve the barrel in itsreciprocation from air resistance.

If the device is constructed so as to enable it to be set to give a longstroke and also a short stroke to the tool, the barrel 1 is formed onits exterior with a pair of longitudinally directed aligned slots Il andI5 of unequal lengths spaced apart, and intermediate said slots isformed with a circumferential groove I8 for a purpose to be describedhereinafter. Preferably adjacent the inner'end of the barrel a drivingprojection or key-stud I1 extends inwardly and runs in either one of thecam slots to reciprocate the tool carried by the stem I8.

l An impeller element, I8 that is to say, a driving member is rotatablyreceived within the chamber 8 of said barrel. This driving member mayhave a circumferential flange I8 at its inner end extending to bear uponthe inner end of the casing. In the present instance, the driving memberis formed with a pair of cam-slots 28 and 2l extending circumferentiallythereabout, said cam-slots being described on pitch-lines oi differentlengths approximately corresponding in longitudinal distance along saidimpeller with the respective barrel-slots I4 and I5. At a convenientpoint, preferably as shown, where the cam-slots most nearly approacheach other, said slots are joined by a longitudinally directed channel22 having shoulders 23 on its opposite sides. 'I'he key-stud I1 isreceived in either of the camslots 2li or 2| to reciprocate the barrel'I through the agency of this driving connection and is movable at willfrom either one slot to-the other through the channel 22.

Any suitable means may be provided for eiecting a ilexible drivingconnection to the driving member. In the present instance, the cap 3 isformed with a neck 25 through which extendsa flexible power-shaft 26rotatable in a sheath 21 and secured to said neck by gland-members 28. Afrustro-conical clutch-member 30 is secured to the end of said shaft andis urged into engagement with the conical clutch-socket 3l formedaxially at the inner end of the impeller I8 by a coil-spring 82 receivedin the neck 25 for imparting rotary movement to said impeller throughthe frictional resistance thus established.

A clutch-lever 83 is pivoted at 85 and is connected to the clutch-member30 through a ring 88. Said lever extends through the cap 3 and isconnected to a dog 31 that may be hooked over the edge of said cap todisengage the clutch member and hold the clutch open, and in oppositionto the spring 82.

A iiat spring 48 is rigidly connected at 4I to the exterior of thecasing and is provided with a spline-stud 42 extending through thecasing and into either` of the slots It or I5 or into the groove Fordriving the device, if desired, the powershaft 28 may be operativelyconnected to a driving head or coupling member 45 keyed to a shaft I8which is rotatively actuated at a relatively reduced speed throughspeed-reduction gearing 41 actuated through a' pinion 8 keyed to anarmature-shaft of an electric-motor 5I energized through currentreceived over a cable 52 from a source of electric-current supplyrepresented by the socket 53. All of said actuating devices may beretained within a housing 54 secured to a wall or other convenientlocation within easy reach of the operator and the electric circuitsupplying said motor may include a switch. not

shown, having an actuating lever 55 through` which said circuit may becompleted or broken at the convenience of the operator.

The stem I0 of the barrel is provided at its outer end protruding fromthe casing I with a jawchuck 58 of any suitable type to detachablyretain suitable tools for the various purposes for which the apparatusis adapted. In Fig. 8 I have shown a tool 51 having an extremity 58formed somewhat as a blunt-edged chisel and which when made of orangewood or the like and reciprocated in the apparatus provides a valuableaid in pressing back the cuticle about the nails. In Fig. 6 I have showna buier attachment 60 having a pad 6i adapted to be rotated with obviousadvantages in polishing the nails. Fig. 'l' shows somewhat similartools. and a le or sandpaper appliance 62 admirably adapted to be usedfor illing and shaping nails.

The operation of the above described apparatus will be briey describedas follows: The barrel 1 is operatively connected to the impeller ordriving member I8 through the key-stud I1 running in either of thecam-slots 20 or 2|.v With the clutch-member 30 frictionally engaged torotate the impeller, reciprocating motions are given to said barrel ofvarious lengths of stroke according to the selected slot in which thestud I1 is engaged. Such straightline motion results from the engagementof the spline-stud 42 in the barrel-slots I4 or l5 and the travel of thetool will correspond to the pitch-lengths of the cam-slots,respectively.

The rotary motion of the impeller is utilized to reciprocate the barreland the tool connected therewith, the length of stroke being determinedby the cam-slot 28 or 2| with winch the key-stud I1 is engaged. Thechannel 22 is provided to admit of the passage of the key-stud to theselected slot, and a flanged ring 53 is provided on the stem I0 to aidin the manipulation of the barrel.

The channel 22 is also utilized to effect a rotary driving connectionwith the key-stud I1 when it is desired to rotate the barrel and toolcarried by the stem. In this case the spline-stud 42 is engaged in theannular groove iwhich lholds the barrel against shifting longitudinallyon the driving member and positions the driving stud I1 in its newposition in the channel 22 to bear against one of the walls 23 'thereofand thus rotate the impeller and barrel in unison.

It is understood that the embodiment of the invention described hereinis only one of the many embodiments this invention may take, and I donot wish to be limited in the practice of the invention, nor in theclaims, to the particular embodiment set forth.

Having described my invention, what I claim, is:

1. Apparatus of the' class described, consisting of a casing having acylindrical chamber, a barrel rotatively and reciprocatively mounted insaid chamber formed with a tool-holding stem extending from said casing,said barrel being formed with a plurality of longitudinally directedaligned slots of unequal lengths and an annular groove, a spline-studconnected to said casing and selectively engageable in said slots vor insaid groove, a rotatively mounted cylindrical impeller formed with aplurality of circumferential cam-slots of unequal pitch-lengthscorresponding to said barrel-slots, respectively, and a communicatingchannel connecting said cam-slots, a key-stud connected to said barreland engageable in said cam- 'slots or said channel selectively, apower-actuated shaft, and clutch-devices between said shaft and saidimpeller to impart reciprocatory or rotory motion to said barrel.

2. Apparatus of the class described, consisting of a casing having acylindrical chamber, a barrel rotatively and reciproeatlvely mounted insaid chamber formed with a tool-holding stem extending from said casing,said barrel being formed with a longitudinally directed slot and anannular groove, a spline-stud connected to said casing and engageable insaid slot and in said groove, a rotatively mounted cylindrical impellerformed with a circumferential cam-slot and a longitudinally directedchannel, a key-stud connected to-said barrel and engageable in saidcamslot or in said channel, a power-actuated shaft, and clutch-devicesbetween said shaft and said impeller to impart reciprocatory or rotarymotion to said barrel.

3. Apparatus of the class described, comprising a casing, a barrelmounted in said casing for rotative and reciprocative motions providedwith a tool-holding device, an impeller rotatably mounted in a chamberedrecess of said barrel formed with a pair of circumferential cam-slots ofunequal pitch-lengths and a channel connecting said cam-slots, akey-stud extending from said barrel into said cam-slots to operativelyconnect the barrel with saidimpeller, and means to guide said barrel inlongitudinal or rotary directions.

4. In apparatus of the kind described, the comcam slot on one of saidmembers, said projecting stem aording means for shifting the drivenmember longitudinally within the casing, and means for disconnecting thedrive through said cam slot and for effecting a rotary drivingconnection between the driving member and the driven member by shiftingthe driven member longitudinally within the casing. f

5. In apparatus of the kind described, the combination of a casing, adriven member guided to slide and rotate in the said casing, and havinga tool-carrying stem projecting at one end oi' the casing, a drivingmember rotatably mounted in the casing, a drive connection between thedriving member and the driven member including a cam slot on one of saidmembers, said projecting stem aifording means for shifting the drivenmember longitudinally within the casing, means for disconnecting thedrive through said cam slot and for effecting a rotary drivingconnection between the driving member and the driven memberby shiftingthe driven member longitudinally driven member against rotation when theiirstnamed drive connection is operating, and for holding the drivenmember against longitudinal movement when the rotary drive connection isin operation.

6. In apparatus of the kind described, the combination of a casing, adriving member rotatably mounted in the casing and having acircumferential cam slot, a driven member guided to slide and rotate inthe casing, and having a driving projection running in the cam slot,means operatable at will for holding the driven member against rotationto enable the driving projection to `reciprocate the driven member, andmeans associated with the cam slot capable of engaging with said drivingprojection when the driven member is held in a longitudinally shiftedposition with respect to the driving member, to enable the drivingmember to rotate the driven member.

7. In apparatus of thev kind described, the combination of a rotatabledriving member having a circumferential cam slot, a longitudinallyshiftable driven member concentric with said driving member, a drivingprojection carried thereby running in the cam slot to reciprocate thedriven member when the driver rotates, hand-operated means operatable atwill to hold said driven member against rotation, said driving memberhaving means for engaging the driven member when the driven member isshifted longitudinally, to enable the driving member to rotate thedriven member.

8. In apparatus of the kind described, the combination of a rotatabledriving member having a circumferential cam slot, a longitudinallyshiftable driven member concentric with said driving member, a ldrivingprojection carried thereby running in the cam slot to reciprocate thedriven member when the driver rotates, hand-operated means operatable atwill to hold said driven member against rotation, said driver having achannel extending laterally from said cam slot, capable of receivingsaid driving projection when the driven 'member is shiftedlongitudinally into a new position with respect to the driving member,said driven member having a circumferential groove to align with saidhand-operated means in said new position and cooperating with the sameto maintain the driven member for rotation in said new position.

9. In apparatus of the kind described, the combination of a casing, adriven member guided to slide and rotate in the said casing, a drivingmember mounted to rotate in said casing, said driving member and saiddriven member having a driving connection therebetween for reciprocatingthe driven member and-including a pin on one oi said members and a camslot on the other member. said driven member having a stem projectingfrom the end of the casing with means for carrying a tool attachedthereto. said cam slot having a. laterally extending channel capable ofreceiving said pin to eEect a rotary driving connection between thedriving member and the driven member; and means for holding the drivenmember against rotation when the pin is running in the slot, and forholding the driven member against longitudinal movement when the pin isin engagement with the said lateral groove.

` RUTH D. SIMMONS.

